MarsX1 Excerpt 1

 

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“And I say the country, and the world for that matter, have lost the will to explore, to take chances,” said Jose Velasco, an engineer with the propulsion group over lunch that day. “Everyone is interested in the virtual, the artificial, that's all I hear.”

“I don't know Jose,” said Mary Elena from systems engineering. “I mean, I think the day of the gung-ho maverick is over, if not, we would all be working for MarsX. So, things are done more methodically now, because we are trying to do things that are naturally harder. And the AI is a big help.”

“Okay then,” said Jose, “since you bring up MarsX. MarsX didn't fail because of its gung-ho leader as you describe the man, they failed because the society, that is the society outside the company, couldn't face the loss of those astronauts. In my opinion, the right thing to do would have been to get to Mars and honor their memories. Society clings to safety like a baby clings to its blanket.”

“I think you are both right,” said John Wyndham from mission planning. “Most people are safety conscious, but there are still a great many who seek out challenges. But the approach to meeting a challenge is more methodical than before, and that is because the challenges are more demanding now. In essence, we've done the easy stuff, now the hard part is to keep going despite the dangers.”

“What do you think Laura?” said Mary Elena trying to include her in the discussion.

“Well, I don't know, I haven't really thought about such things in the wider context, and I don't know much about the AIs I'm using. I just know that, speaking for myself, I was ready to get on a rocket to Mars at the age of thirteen and still am. I guess I wouldn't have thought much about the dangers then or now,” said Laura.

“Laura, this is meant as a complement not a criticism,” said Jose. “You're a throwback to a different era where men sought challenge and adventure without paralyzing themselves with worries.”